Dear Ranulph:
I certainly agree that design thinking permeates every
purposeful activity.
I am not so convinced that design is always a circular
and iterative activity. (an emphasis on the word
always)
Reflection is an important component of design but
not a necessary condition for it to occur as nature
profusely indicates.
You said:
"I understand learning as requiring the acquisition of
concepts that are
new to the learner. ... There are two aspects to
this: firstly, the acquisition of the concept, or,
more precisely,
making our own understandings through which we can
reproduce the
concept. And secondly, the integration of a concept
into the collection
of concepts we have, in such a way that it can be
used, sometimes to
create more new concepts, sometimes to enhance the
understandings we
already have, and sometimes to effect a noticeable
change in how we see
the world. Note that we can't always manage this, and
have to reject
the way we have formed the concept because we can't
integrate it, or
because the concept we have developed isn't viable."
I think that you have cogently captured what adaptive
learning is about. I identify this with the reflective
mode of thought which is concerned with adaptive
memory and the creation of knowledge - not just an
instrumental effect on current thought.
You also said:
"Thus, for me, learning is a form of designing. For
too long, I believe,
those of us working in design have been reluctant to
claim as ours what
clearly is, preferring to maintain our position as
some sort of minor,
often seemingly flawed area within the greater scheme
of things. But we
are the greater scheme of things!"
I totally agree with the essence of your statement. We
are constantly designing what we know. We are also
designing what we intend, what we choose to attend to,
what we conceive, what we express, what we do, and
what we aspire to. This is a useful discipline.
Best regards
Chuck
PS: I was unable to download "A Note on Knowing".
Would you please e-mail am copy to me? Many thanks
Dr. Charles Burnette
234 South Third Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Tel: +215 629 1387
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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